Vitamin E consists of eight compounds; four tocopherols (alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-) and four tocotrienols (alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-). Among them, only alpha-tocopherol has been extensively studied. Gamma-tocopherol (gamma-T) is the major form of vitamin E in the US diet. However, it has drawn little attention compared with alpha-tocopherol, the primary form of vitamin E found in most supplements. Delta-tocopherol (delta-T) is another form of vitamin E that is rich in some food sources (often found with gamma-T, e.g. in soybeans and soybean oil). Tocotrienols are mainly abundant in palm oil.
Chronic use of a number of medications is known to contribute to obesity. For example, the treatment of diabetes using anti-diabetes drugs, including the thiazolidinedione class (troglitazone, rosiglitazone and proglitazone), commonly leads to weight gain and obesity (Malinowski J M et al, 2000, Clinical Therapeutics, 22, 1151-68). UK Prospective Diabetes Study has clearly demonstrated that weight gain associated with diabetes treatment partially cancels the beneficial effects of tight blood glucose control on cardiovascular events and mortality (UK Prospective Diabetes Study, Group, 1998, Lancet, 352, 854-65). Here we show that tocopherol and tocotrienol compositions can be used to reduce triglyceride accumulation in adipocytes, particularly accumulation resulting from obesity-promoting drug use. Furthermore, the use of combinations of tocopherols or tocotrienols with anti-diabetes drugs provides a superior therapy.
Ismermann et al. 1999, Diabetes Care 22, 1227-1228 report that alpha-tocopherol induces leptin expression in healthy individuals; Ohrvall et al., J Intern Med 1993 Jul;234(1):53-60 report lower tocopherol serum levels in subjects with abdominal adiposity; Sjoholm et al., Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2000 Oct 22;277(2):334-40, report that gamma-tocopherol partially protects insulin-secreting cells against functional inhibition by nitric oxide. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,239,171 and 5,821,264 appear relevant to this disclosure.